So sick of not having enough money

[Fortheloveofgoddude]

Dh & I both work-I’m a teacher, Dh manager of a company, mortgage remaining is fairly small by some standards, few outgoings such as electric motorbike and car and the rest bills, food, petrol.
One Dd and she’s now in school. I know we should be gratefully to have a home and be able to afford the basics etc and we are, but getting fed up now of feeling we’re working hard (Dh especially is getting down as it’s manual labour and organising everyone else and he’s exhausted ) and not having anything extra for it. For example, we need to decorate & sort out garden and just can’t at the moment, but can’t afford it, we’d like more than a camping holiday one year.
Dd has all she could ever need-clubs, clothes, books, toys etc.
I suppose that little bit extra would just make things feel more worthwhile

Sorry for typos

Vote Labour.

@TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum Oh for sure 👍

I would usually but I feel like Starmer is a conservative!
Wondering what to do to!

We’re similar OP - I thought things would feel easier with the youngest about to start school but it won’t be with the mortgage going up.

Just want to be able to afford a holiday.

You could look on the bright side... you pay a mortgage and not rent so eventually your house will be yours. you both have jobs, there's plenty who would love jobs but simply can't get one. there's plenty you can do with a garden thats free. you have food in the cupboard and clothes on your back and can afford 1 camping holiday a year... many don't even have that.

life is tough for lots of people at the moment.. count your blessings

Without a breakdown it’s difficult to see where your money is going. I would have thought a teacher and a company manager would be able to do a 2 week Tui holiday in the summer.

Absolutely agree with this!

However, OP’s feelings are valid.

It's shit for many this is true. But when it's shit for people in op's situation there is something fundamentally wrong! I chose to be educated and work in a less well paid vocation, rather than a well paid career and was largely happy with the trade off to do without expensive trimmings in life. Turns out wrong choice!!

I always expected to be able to get by, but not this god awful slog that's been ever since "austerity" in 2010! So I upped my skillset and progressed in different area and I feel just the same skint as I always was! Really feel for those on lower incomes.

Can you look at your budget to save for a holiday. Your household income sounds like it would be high ish. Are you still paying childcare?

Owning you home is a burden as you have to pay for repairs, pay for interest rate hikes, pay for insurance and if you are not throwing you money away and want you home to be passed on to your kids, grandkids etc and you end up in a care home,, the gov will take it away from you

living in a social housing, repairs are free so you don't have to worry about new heating or boiler at 7/8k or a new roof for 10k or fencing at 3k etc etc

the only advantage of ones own home is you can move to another area or country and have money id your pocket if you can afford it

If tories don't get back in - then your are faced in massive hikes in council tax as we are expecting a review of council tax banding just like labour is doing in Wales

we can try not to borrow other than a mortgage as why pay massive interest, but sadly not everyone can manage that

if you have a half decent income, expect higher taxes

a solution is move to a cheaper area and work from home

Otherwise its longer hours and more cutback on spending and it gets depressing

Go onto mineysavingexpert .co. uk budget planner - it helps to work out your income and spendings. You may be able to organise your finances easier.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/budget-planning/

That's fine up to a point. But it's also a bit of a means to keep the masses with their noses to the grindstone and their mouths shut. Why must we always consider how much worse off we could be? Why can we not consider how much better off we could be in a well run country with less social inequality and unfair distribution of wealth?
When I was at OPs life stage I worked part time in a low paid role for a charity. My partner ran a business and worked hard. We paid our mortgage, bills, stuff for the children AND had two holidays a year. This was under a Labour government.
I know they don't have a magic bullet, but I'm optimistic it can get better than this. And so I don't think people should count their blessings and be grateful. They should keep wanting better and take the opportunity to vote for a government who may deliver it.

I feel the exact same. I'm a teacher and husband a manager. Constantly renovating because we couldn't afford a finished house. Still paying nursery fees but I really thought we'd be able to afford holidays by now.
No savings either all money goes on the house. But also no finance or credit cards.
Sometimes I wish we'd just got a huge mortgage over a longer term like our friends have as they enjoy many more treats and holidays with lower monthly payments. I'm just keeping the faith that we're doing the right thing.
I feel so lucky on one hand but it's still a slog.

I feel the same OP.

Husband is a manager at a charity, I am a teacher (part time). Young children (1 school age, 1 preschool & 1 toddler).

We cant afford a holiday at all this year. Everyone around us seems to be going away on multiple trips. We have to find the money for the last food shop of the month every single month.

No cars/subscriptions/ luxuries.

It's very hard work to think that we are both working hard, balancing childcare needs (and saving nursery fees by not working).

We actually qualified for a hardship fund a few months ago which made me feel terrible.

I don't know what the answer is. Husband already works 6 days a week!!

This. With two decent incomes, one DC with presumably wrap around childcare only and a 'fairly small' mortgage, you should be able to afford to decorate and go on holiday. Look at the Moneysaving Expert budget planner linked to above.

I really disagree. They’ll be bound to school holidays only, and for two weeks you’re easily looking at 5k+ for somewhere really basic.

YANBU, OP. It’s shitty

You both have good jobs and a small mortgage. Have you broken down your outgoings? The money must be going somewhere.

So he can increase our taxes?.how will that help?

This is true too. We earn less than you I'd say (about 70k between us) but have an £1100 mortgage and £800 nursery fees. And a big council tax and gas bill. We still go on holiday - 2 abroad trips this year (5 day weekend breaks and disney for example)

I feel the same. Realistically, there’s stuff in the house I could sell, but I have 3 jobs and I’m knackered. It’s depressing.

I HATE this count your blessings, comparison is the thief of joy attitude that pops up on here.

Op, it's shit that you don't have enough money. It really is.

You need and deserve more! The middle class do! Not the 1% ultra wealthy!!

I seriously think I live in a parallel world at times when reading some threads on here

Seriously £5K for a holiday in the sun for 2 adults and one child????

OP, its shite, of course its shite when you are trying to keep up with the jones and tbh Im sure half the posters lives on here are make belive

The reality of life is it takes two adults out earning more then NMW , working 35+ hours a week each to afford a child and a mortgage. So ok amounts have changed, but back in my day, took the two of us working in well paid jobs to pay the mortgage and support the children ( 90's/00's )

Voting Labour ( or conservative or the looney party) isnt going to change that

What I would advise is a spending diary for a month. Every penny spent - down to the 20p for a public loo - if you spend it , write it. Nothing fancy, a notepad is good. End of a month you sit there and work out where the money is going and decide from there where the mindless spending can be cut back - just buying a meal deal 5 days a week is at least £30. Spending £100 a week for groceries and then buying takeaways and throwing food out , paying too much for phones, subscriptions , gym.....

Until you know where your money is going to the penny, you cant hold onto it and put it to the use you want

Both of us have taken on low paid work, part time hours, cos the kids are grown ( the grandkids are just as expensive ) and the mortgage is paid, We still have holidays - 2 or 3 a year, we run young high spec cars ( owned ) because we keep an eye on where our money is going and we choose to spend on what's important to us.

@Hinkuy
Yes but are your holidays in school holidays? I'm a teacher and married to a teacher and the difference in 3x in some cases. Even in the uk.
We could afford four non term time holidays for the cost of our one summer hol. And no I cannot go on inset days or take time off school. Unfortunately.